Crystal Coast Fishing Tournament Calendar
| Offshore and inshore tournaments. Surf fishing. |
Bogue & Core Sounds
Morehead City, Beaufort, Harkers Island, Atlantic Beach, Salter Path, Emerald Isle, Swansboro
Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge Artifacts
Beaufort
Those artifacts from Queen Anne's Revenge that have undergone conservation are on exhibit at the North Carolina Maritime Museum at 315 Front Street in Beaufort. NCDCR
Beaufort Historic Site
Beaufort
Preservation efforts have kept Old Beaufort much as it was when the town incorporated in 1722. Tour beautifully restored historic homes interpreted in period style, the old jail, the oldest wood-framed courthouse in the state, an apothecary shop, and the Old Burying Ground. Take a tour aboard a vintage English double-decker bus and hear costumed guides tell tales of Beaufort’s rich past of pirates, star-crossed lovers and Confederate spies. Stroll through the Mattie King Davis Art Gallery and view the works of local and regional artists. Browse through the Old Beaufort Gift Shop’s extensive collection of books on local history, hand-woven rugs, locally carved decoys, fresh herbs, pottery, and much more. ## Located in the 400 block of Ann Street in Beaufort's Historic District, the oldest of the town's cemeteries was established in the early 1700s and was closed by the General Assembly in 1825, fully occupied. The town disagreed, however, and continued burying its loved ones there until the early 1900s. Old Burying Ground inhabitants include a child who died at sea and was buried in a keg of rum, the great NC privateer Capt. Otway Burns and the crew of the Crissie Wright who died when their great schooner went aground at Shackleford Banks during a January storm in 1886. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Burying Ground tells many stories of Colonial life in Beaufort, NC's third oldest town. Tours of the Old Burying Ground are offered by the Beaufort Historic Site from June through September on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Beaufort Historic Site
Josiah Bell House
Beaufort
Civil War: Union signalmen stood near here directing the fire against Fort Macon in 1862. Soon after, the port became an important Union coaling station for the blockade. Tour of the historic area includes the Bell house, home to a Confederate secret agent and the Old Burying Ground, where soldiers from both sides, free blacks and slaves are buried. beaufort-nc.com/bha/
Atlantic Ocean Resort Beaches of the Crystal Coast
Atlantic Beach, Salter Path, Emerald Isle, and the Cape Lookout National Seashore
Crystal Coast Jamboree
Morehead City
The Crystal Coast Jamboree is a LIVE musical revue in the tradition of Nashville, Branson and Myrtle Beach. The two-hour show combines country traditions with comedy, gospel, bluegrass, dance, tributes and music of the season. The large cast of talented vocalists and musicians delivers a show that all agree is the Best On The Coast! Include the Crystal Coast Jamboree in your plans. crystalcoastjamboree.com
Rachel Carson Coastal Estaurine Reserve
Beaufort
Islands of the Rachel Carson Reserve parallel the Beaufort waterfront. These islands provide nesting for a great variety of shorebirds and an ecosystem that is home to clams, whelks, fish, fiddler crabs and other creatures that are critical to the food web. It is also home to feral horses that live wild. noaa.gov ncnerr.org nature.org
Carteret County Curb Market
Morehead City
Carteret County Curb Market, the oldest continuously operating curb market in North Carolina, opens each Saturday through Labor Day, 7:30–11:30 am at the corner of 13th and Evans streets in downtown Morehead City. Choose from fresh vegetables, local seafood, cut flowers, and a multitude of baked goods. A demonstration garden is available to view throughout the summer.
Croatan National Forest
Havelock
This coastal national forest contains 159,000 acres of estuary, hardwood forest, longleaf pine and pocosin. Recreation areas for camping, picnicking, swimming, canoeing, hiking and wildlife observation. Fishing and hunting. Free. Fee for developed campgrounds. recreation.gov unca.edu unca.edu (2) ncnatural.com
Fort Macon State Park
Atlantic Beach
Fort Macon interprets and preserves the history of this structure. Displayed throughout the fort is the history of the site and its military role from the pre-Civil War era through World War II. Exhibits include the hot shot furnace in the fort yard, bread oven, kitchen and supply areas, and exhibits on the Fort Macon soldier's life. ## Built between 1826 and 1834 to guard the entrance to Beaufort Harbor, this five-sided fort constructed of brick and stone was intermittently garrisoned before being seized by Confederate troops in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War. Twenty-six casements are enclosed by outer walls 4.5 feet thick. In April, 1862 the fort was recaptured by Union forces. During the Reconstruction Era, it was used as a prison. Fort Macon was re garrisoned in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and from 1941-1945 during World War II. Today, Fort Macon is one of the finest surviving examples of 19th century military architecture and fortification. Areas of the fort have been restored to depict periods of soldier occupation. Civil War reenactments occur during summer months. You may tour the restored fort daily except Christmas day. Swimming, fishing, a nature trail and picnicking are available daily. Free ## Civil War: Built 1826-1834 to protect the deep-water port at Beaufort, this fort was taken by North Carolina militia in April 1861. Confederate occupation lasted a little more than a year. Fort Macon fell April 25, 1862 to a Union land-sea operation. The site remains in good shape and is maintained with its Civil War history in mind. Good exhibits located in the casemates. Frequent programs during the summer. Guided and self-guided tours available. Fort Macon State Park
The History Place
Morehead City
The Crystal Coast's newest attraction site is The History Place in downtown Morehead City. The History Place exhibits a widely varied collection that reflects the cultural history of North Carolina's coast from its indigenous Indians through World War II. The research library offers a broad Civil War collection and genealogy research materials. Tea room is on site. Admission is free. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. ## The History Place fosters and promotes public knowledge of and interest in the history and culture of the people of Carteret County. They accomplish this through the collection, preservation, interpretation, documentation, and exhibition of written and tangible materials. A spacious exhibit hall features displays on the culture and history of Carteret County. The museum maintains a library with over 4,000 volumes of American and North Carolina History. The library also collects and maintains a large collection of local history and genealogy material. Civil War items. thehistoryplace.org
Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail
Atlantic Beach
This 31-acre maritime forest serves as a refuge for fish, wildlife and plant communities in an enormous diversity of coastal habitats. The property is permanently protected by the NC Coastal Federation. It was purchased in 1996 with a grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. A low-impact 1/2-mile trail is open to the public during daylight hours and is located off Highway 58 in Atlantic Beach next to the Atlantic Station Shopping Center. Free trail guides are offered at the trail entrance. ## Civil War: Union position here became the base of operations against Confederate-held Fort Macon, five miles away, March-April 1862. From here, Federal artillery was dragged with difficulty up the beach to within range of the fort. nccoast.org
Intracoastal Waterway
Camden County, Elizabeth City, Currituck County, Hyde County, Belhaven, Oriental, Morehead City, Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Swansboro, Sneads Ferry, North Topsail Beach, Surf City, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Southport, Oak Island, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach
North Carolina Maritime Museum
Beaufort
The North Carolina Maritime Museum documents, collects, preserves, and researches the maritime history, and its corollary natural history, of coastal North Carolina for the purpose of interpreting this history through educational services and exhibits for our contemporary society, and passing intact its material culture to future generations. The museum complex includes the main exhibit hall and the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center for the construction and restoration of wooden boats. The museum also maintains the Charles R. McNeill Library and archives with books, journals, photographs and manuscripts on or relating to maritime history. ## The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort preserves and interprets all aspects of the rich maritime heritage of the state through educational exhibits, programs and field trips. Exhibits take visitors from the dugout canoes of native Americans through the variety of sail rigs and hull designs of explorers, traders and privateers. They recall the brave traditions of the US Lifesaving Service and the African American heritage in that service and the menhaden fishery, tools of wooden boat builders and navigators, and repair shops of the earliest outboard engines. Artifacts from the shipwreck that is proving to be Blackbeard the pirate's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge add the excitement of one of the most significant archeological finds of this century. In the museum's Watercraft Center, visitors watch the construction and restoration of wooden boats. Educational programming includes the Cape Lookout Studies Program, Boatbuilding Skills Classes, Summer Science School for Children and the Junior Sailing Program as well as field trips to coastal habitats, kayaking, adult, family, and private sailing instruction, sliding seat rowing, fossil hunting trips, birding trips, marine life collecting cruises, wildflower and mushroom walks. Quarterly calendars of year around museum activities are available on request. NC Maritime Museum
Outer Banks Scenic Byway
Ocracoke Island
The Outer Banks Scenic Byway is one of 44 Scenic Byways that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has designated to give visitors and residents a chance to experience a bit of North Carolina history, geography and culture while raising awareness for the protection and preservation of these treasures. From Whalebone Junction on the Outer Banks of NC, this 111 miles byway travels south along North Carolina Highway 12, on bridges and ferries across several inlets, and ending in Beaufort, NC. The Hyde County portion of this byway begins as you board the free ferry on Hatteras Island and ends on Ocracoke Island as you board a toll ferry to Cedar Island. The crossing time for the Hatteras Inlet to Ocracoke Island is about 35 minutes. The present Hatteras Inlet opened in 1846. Notice the wild horses while following North Carolina Highway 12 for 13 miles along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore across Ocracoke Island to the village of Ocracoke. The animals are Banker Ponies, descendants of horses brought by early explorers on ships wrecked in the Atlantic. A herd also is maintained on the islands south of Beaufort. Ocracoke was first called Wococon in the 1500s (when it was an Indian village) and has since gone through a series of names derived from the Algonquian for ''enclosed place.'' One of the oldest operating lighthouses on the Atlantic is located on Silver Lake, a tidal basin and harbor in the village of Ocracoke. The 75-foot tall Ocracoke Island Lighthouse was built in 1823 and is the only operational lighthouse within a town. The Ocracoke Inlet, once North Carolina's primary trade inlet, was the site of the death of the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, who was killed on November 22, 1718. From Ocracoke Inlet, the Cedar Island ferry to Carteret County is a 2.5 hour ride to continue the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, or travel the Alligator River or Pamlico Scenic Byways by taking the toll ferry to Swan Quarter. Hyde County
Patsy Pond Nature Trail
Newport, north of Morehead City
The Patsy Pond area is located in the Croatan National Forest and is one of the most diverse natural areas in North Carolina. It is a place where plant species of a long leaf pine forest coexist with plant species of the state's coastine and barrier islands. Two well-marked trails exist - a 3/4-mile and a 1 3/4-mile trail. Free trail guides are available at the trail entrance located on Highway 24 directly across from the NC Coastal Federation offices in Ocean, about halfway between Morehead City and Swansboro. Trail use is open to the public during daylight hours. nccoast.org
Shackleford Banks Wild Horses
Beaufort
The Shackleford Banks wild horses are a unique historic and cultural legacy of the Crystal Coast region. They are descended from a core group of Spanish mustangs of the earliest explorers of Colonial America. The herd numbers 100-125 horses that are the only inhabitants of this southernmost of the Outer Banks barrier island chain. Shackleford Banks is part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. shacklefordhorses.org
Wooden Boat Show
Beaufort
The first weekend of May brings classic wooden boats to the Beaufort waterfront to show off and to race. Events are scheduled at the NC Maritime Museum, the Museum's Watercraft Center and on the downtown waterfront in Beaufort. Exhibits are in place 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sail and rowing races are scheduled. Lectures and activities are scheduled throughout the week before the weekend exhibition. NC Maritime Museum
